“Publish What You Pay Indonesia” is an innovative example of the integration of access to information with public participation in environmental monitoring and enforcement. This Android-based internet application enables the public to check the location of oil, gas, and mining concessions, the revenue they generate, and the social conditions in the surrounding area. It also ties to the government-run citizen complaint and information submission system, LAPOR. The application maps the concession locations so that the public can detect if a concession is operating outside of its boundaries, information that is often difficult to determine for an average citizen who would not know the legal boundaries of a concession. Provision of information about the revenue generated and the socio-economic status of the region allows the public to understand the concession’s economic contribution to the region. Integration of the LAPOR system allows citizens to contact government directly. This innovative system was established in 2011 to allow citizens to provide feedback to the government on key initiatives. It was so popular that it was expanded to all areas. A mandate was put in place that any complaint be responded to by the responsible agency within five working days. Citizens can send complaints by texting, on its website, through its mobile app, or on Twitter. The LAPOR system also lets government officials communicate with one another and verify that agencies are being responsive to citizens’ needs. The system currently holds over 500 complaints per day.
Indonesia